Earthvision Battle Royale 2026
The Earthvision Battle Royal 2026, also known as the EBR 2026, Earthvision 2026, or more simply country 2026, was the 11th edition of the annual Battle Royale contest that took place in country. A total of 193 nations took part and sent one citizen to this event. The Earthvision consisted of four semi-finals, and for the first time in EBR history all four of the semi-finals started on different days; the first taking place on the 31st of May at 12:00 pm, and each subsequent semi-final starting 24 hours after the previous. The host nation, United States, was the winning nation of the 2025 edition the previous year, which meant that they automatically qualified to the Grand Final for this year's edition. The other 192 nations were drawn randomly into pots - regardless of country location - and distributed into the four semi finals. There, each citizen competed in a fight to the death until 12 remained. The qualifiers from each semi-final were then rescued from the arena and 8 days later made up the 48 (including the host nation) in the Grand Final. Each nation was allowed to pick their citizen in any way they choose, as long as they were picked before February 28, 2026. The winner was Noemi Ortiz of Costa Rica, who was also the first citizen to qualify to the Grand Final for that country. This was the second time a central-American nation won the EBR, after El Salvador 6 years previous. In second place was Bosnia & Herzegovina, followed by Uruguay, 2024 EBR winners San Marino, and last Colombia in 5th place. Host nation United States finished in a disappointing 31st place, along with many of the pre-Grand Final favorites such as Israel, Russia, Malta, and Sweden who also received disappointing results. Arena The United States announced in July of 2025 that they have "grand" plans of expanding the Battle Royale for their edition to show off the true diversity of American geography. It was later revealed that this would mean for the first time, there would be five different Arenas for each semi-final and Grand Final. Because there would be different Arenas, the EO's of this edition lifted the restriction of citizens knowing which Arena they would compete in. The first semi-final took place in an abandoned downtown Manhattan. According to the Creative Directors, the Arena was made to have the appearance of a nuclear wasteland, with an eerily empty city. Dangers in this Arena included muttation dogs and subway rats, and random radiation level spikes throughout. The actual location where the Arena was built was never revealed, but some speculated it was built in the middle of Montana, and even in rural upstate New York. The second semi-final took place in the Grand Canyon. Many figured that this would be one of the Arenas, due to its worldwide fame and it being a perfect Arena-type. For budget reasons, the American EO's actually built the Arena inside the Grand Canyon, despite protests from Native American and Eco rights organizations. Muttation bears, coyotes, jackals, and poisonous cactuses were the dangers, as well as extremely high temperatures couples with a low-running river. The third semi-final took place on the eastern edge of the island of Moloka'i in Hawaii. Once again there was heavy criticism that the construction of the highly technologically-advanced Arena would destroy the natural environment, despite assurances by the EO's that the construction would in no way affect the environment. Muttation sharks and wild boar were the main dangers, as well as tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes. The fourth semi-final took place in the Honey Island Swamp, located in Louisiana near New Orlreans. This choice was somewhat of a surprise, as many thought the last Arena would be in a more popular swamp-like area like the Everglades. This was also considered the hardest and most dangerous Arena out of all five, because of the constant threat of muttation alligators, snakes, cobras, eagles. and mosquitoes, as well as the stifling humidity and lack of nourishment available in the Arena. Format and Rules The draw to determine which nation would compete in which semifinal as well as the pod number for the host country took place in Houston, Texas, on December 8th, 2025. Host was selected to start on Pod. Each competing nation had to declare their intent to join by December 1st, and declare their competing citizen by February 28th, 2026 Most countries picked their citizen through an internal selection. These are done when the governments hold a nationally televised lottery where citizens are assigned a set of numbers, and are chosen if their numbers are picked. There are millions of cases each year where people try to volunteer for to be their nation's citizen. In this situation, the volunteers are given as many lottery numbers as they can buy (in some countries they cost as little as $2, while in bigger countries like the US, Russia, Australia, etc. prices can go up to $1000 each), so the chances one of their number combinations is picked goes up. Though the vast majority of citizens picked embrace their fate and their chance to take part in this romanticized gladiator-style event, most governments dispatch thousands of personnel across their country so that they can reach their chosen citizen within minutes of being selected, just in case one tries to run away. In the meantime, citizen's are usually invited to multiple locations across the globe as to promote themselves and their country, create alliances, and get sponsors. While there are tens to hundreds of unofficial smaller parties all around the world, the biggest and most watched are the Official pre-parties sanctioned by the EOs. It is not required to go on tour to any of these parties; the decision is entirely up to the government and how much they want to spend their strictly-defined EO imposed budget on it ($500,000 per nation). The schedule for these major ones are: *Sydney, Australia - 7 March *Santiago de Chile, Chile - 14 March *Rome, Italy - 19 March *Istanbul, Turkey - 28 March *Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- 4 April *Shanghai, China - 10 April *Bali, Indonesia - 18 April After being chosen, the citizens took part in a press conference outside their home and the build-up started. Depending on how early or late their national reaping was, they either stayed at their home (under close discreet surveillance), went on tour, or were transported immediately to the host country where they and the hundreds of other citizens stayed in a citizen-only village. They were allowed to have family and friends come and visit them up until the day before the citizen competed in the Battle Royal. All citizens had to arrive exactly one month prior to the first semi-final, in order for them to have enough time to train and acclimate to the surroundings. The EOs provided each citizen with a personal team that includes trainers, stylists, cooks, field specialists, etc. For the month or two that the citizens were there, they were encouraged to learn survival skills and do strength training so they could improve their survival chances (and provide a great entertainment show). The evening before the first semi-final, the Opening Ceremony took place in the Rose Bowl, Pasedena CA. Comparable to the ceremonies of the Olympic Games, this one celebrated American history and culture and included many pyrotechnics, acts and performances, music, and fireworks. The Parade of Nations took place shortly afterwards, which included each citizen pulled by a high-tec chariot decorated to represent their country, surrounded by an entourage of performers showing off that country's culture and national symbols, all of which was led by their national flag. Speeches were held by the EOs and the American government, followed by citizen oaths and raising of flags. Finally, the cauldron was lit to symbolize the official start of the Battle Royale, to be extinguished only by the winner of the Grand Final themselves. Following the Opening Ceremony, all citizens went on a lockdown. They were not permitted to leave their building or have access to any outside information that could have helped them in the Arena. Citizens in semi-finals two, three, and four were not allowed to view or have any knowledge of what happens in the semi-final that occurs before theirs as well. This was to ensure that the suspense is kept and no citizen had an unfair advantage over an other. Qualification X Nations participated in this edition of the Earthvision Battle Royale. Forty-eight nations competed in the first three semi-finals, while forty-seven competed in the forth semi-final. Semi-Final 1 The first semi-final took place between 12 pm on May 31st to 4:25 pm on June 3rd in an abandoned Manhattan. Semi-Final 2 The second semi-final took place between 12 pm on June 1st to 8:47 pm on June 3rd in the Grand Canyon. Semi-Final 3 The third semi-final took place between 12 pm on June 2nd to 12:45 am on June 6th on the island of Moloka'i, Hawaii. Semi-Final 4 The fourth semi-final took place between 12 pm on June 3rd to 5:56 pm on June 5th in the Honey Island Swamp, Louisiana. Summary of the Semi-Finals File:EBR 2026 SF1.png| Semi-Final 1 File:EBR 2026 SF2.png| Semi-Final 2 File:EBR 2026 SF3.png| Semi-Final 3 File:EBR 2026 SF4.png| Semi-Final 4 Preparation for the Grand Final Pod Order The draw for the pot order, which determines where around the Cornucopia a nation's citizen is to stand and take off for it when the Battle starts, was held on June 20th. It is seen as important because a citizen who gets drawn towards the middle is in a direct straight line to the Cornucopia and slightly closer, as oppose to those at either end who are further away and at an angle. Live Coverage of the Grand Final Welcome to the start of the Earthvision Battle Royale 2026. In just over 5 minutes, 48 citizens representing countries from all across the globe will be raised onto their pods going into the Arena, and in what will likely be two and a half weeks, one will emerge as the sole victor. One can only imagine how nervous and anxious the competing countries' fans are, and how even more nervous the citizens must be! Day 1 (14 June) Corazana Bianchi of is startled by the sudden booming voice of the announcer and stumbled off her pod, blowing her up instantly. Teresa Carrico of is killed by Goudarz Sasanov of . Akel Karaduman of is killed by Shandrel Ascue of . Shandrel Ascue of is killed by Sundus Harroun of . Goudarz Sasanov of succumbs to his wounds sustained during the bloodbath. Day 1 Recap Five citizens died, 43 remain. Day 2 (15 June) Joel Leitão of is killed by Georgina Massi of . Day 2 Recap One citizen died, 42 remain. Day 3 (16 June) Attention citizens! Mount Lassen is about to violently erupt for the first time in over 100 years! Find safety or perish violently! Roldan Leiva of is pushed into the lava flow by a hidden Stéphanie Toussaint of . Mok Dai-tai of is pushed into the lava flow by Amall Al-Ghumari of . Blaise Bossuet of has his legs broken and is left for the approaching lava flow by Cédric Maertens of . Eleesha Neaves of suffocates in the ash cloud. Sundus Harround of is pushed face first into the lava by Toussainte Voavynti of . Anewa Melia of burns in the lava. Magdalena Veneva of dies of smoke inhalation. Maximilián Kopecky of is tripped and left for the ash cloud by Romy Stewart of . Matthew Telesca of falls from his hiding place in a tree into the lava flow. Odelia Kantor of suffocates in the ash cloud. Arkadiy Ivankov of suffocates in the ash cloud. Alec Woolward of can't outrun the oncoming ash cloud and suffocates to death. Day 3 Recap This has been a truly shocking day. In a major turn of events, many of the pre-Grand Final favorites like Malta, Israel, Russia, and Pacifica were killed in the volcano eruption. Included in the deaths was the United States' very own citizen, Alec. 12 citizens died, 30 remain. Day 4 (17 June) Beulah Makhloufi of is killed by Wang Cuifen of . Marc Hassell of is killed by Daniel Odins of . Gilen Belarbide of is killed by Gil Monaldo of . Daniel Odins of is killed by Romy Stewart of . Day 4 Recap Four citizens died, 26 remain. Day 5 (18 June) Ruphael Abel Mekbib of is killed by Stéphanie Toussaint of . Toussainte Voavynti of is swiftly decapitated with a fighting blade by Cédric Maertens of . Ritchie Maza of is killed by Stefano Vidal of . Day 5 Recap Three citizens died, 23 remain. Day 6 (19 June) Gertjan Reterink of is killed by Demaine Battersby of . Horváth Blanka of is killed by Fausto Valerio of . Quinta Rayo of is killed by Luca Pinheiro of . Day 6 Recap Three citizens died, 20 remain. Day 7 (20 June) Simon Féret of is killed by Wang Cuifen of . Amall Al-Ghumari of is killed by Wang Cuifen of . Cédric Maertens of is killed by Romy Stewart of . Day 7 Recap In a Battle Royale that is proving to be a surprise for everyone, another favorite has died. Cédric of Belgium was stalked and had his throat slashed by Romy of Turks and Caicos Islands. Cédric was just one of many favorites to have their lives ended earlier than thought, leaving only a bunch of unsuspecting citizens from poorer countries in the competition in what is proving to be a rather anticlimactic Battle Royale. Three citizens died, 17 remain. Day 8 (21 June) Adrian Frisk of is killed by Nermin Hodzic of . Day 8 Recap One citizen died, 16 remain. Day 9 (22 June) Stéphanie Toussaint of is killed by Callum Nash of . Day 9 Recap One citizen died, 15 remain. Day 10 (23 June) Attention Citizens! There will be a feast at the cornucopia later today, and there will be many new supplies available. Good luck!' Georgina Massi of is struck in the head with an axe by Stefano Vidal of . Romy Stewart of is killed by Wang Cuifen of . Lyrokea Ulunthi of is killed by Joyce Muckabi of . Roman Quintana of is killed by Gil Monaldo of . Luca Pinheiro of is killed by Nermin Hodzic of . Day 10 Recap After 10 days, we're now down to our final 10 citizens! I'll tell you that no one on planet Earth thought the final 10 would be these citizens we see before us. Five citizens died, 10 remain. Day 11 (24 June) Wang Cuifen of is killed by Fausto Valerio of . Joyce Muckabi of is killed by Nermin Hodzic of . Day 11 Recap Two citizens died, 8 remain. Day 12 (25 June) Demaine Battersby of is caught and killed in a foot trap set by Stefano Vidal of . Day 11 Recap The favorite has been killed! Demaine had been the favorite for the past couple days, but he was surprisingly killed earlier today when he was swimming through the lake. When he reached the shore, Stefano of Uruguay ran from the trees with a steel bat and bludgeoned him before he could escape. One citizen died, 7 remain. Day 13 (26 June) Callum Nash of is killed by Noemi Ortiz of . Day 13 Recap One citizen died, 6 remain. Day 14 (27 June) Laurana Prieto of is killed by Fausto Valerio of . Day 14 Recap Can San Marino do it again? They are on their way as they make it into the top 5 along with Costa Rica, Colombia, Uruguay, and Bosnia & Herzegovina. One citizen died, 4 remain. Day 15 (28 June) ''Attention Citizens! Wild muttation bears have been let loose in the Arena. Find safety or risk of gory death! Gil Monaldo of is stabbed and left for the bears as bait by Noemi Ortiz of . Fausto Valerio of is eaten alive by the bears. Stefano Vidal of is cornered and mauled by the bears. Nermin Hodzic of kills a bear, but is later ran down and gored by another bear. Day 15 Recap The winner of the 11th Earthvision Battle Royale is Noemi Ortiz of Costa Rica, congratulations! She defied all odds and managed to outlast all the favorites, and it was sheer intelligence and straightforward survival instincts that earned her and Costa Rica their first victory in the Earthvision Battle Royale. Final Standings Closing Ceremony The Closing Ceremony took place the night of June 29th and celebrated the victory of Noemi and Costa Rica, and the overall success of the Games in general. There were more cultural festivities, closing speeches, a montage of the most dramatic and noteworthy moments of the Battle Royale, and of course a slow-mo replay of the winning moment. Noemi re-entered the stadium to thunderous roars and applause and, along with the prime minister of Costa Rica, participated in the "passing down of the torch" segment of the Ceremony. The winner of the last Battle Royale, Christian, passed down his golden laurel reef to Noemi, to be worn around her head as a prestigious crown for all official appearances until she must pass down the same crown to the winner of the next Battle Royale. The Prime Minister of Costa Rica accepted responsibility of his nation to host next year's games, while Noemi symbolically extinguished the cauldron, signaling the end of the 11th Earthvision Battle Royale.